Living Light became an educational exhibition known as the Tennessee Tour in November 2011 after returning from the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, an international, solar home design competition among collegiate teams. It placed eighth overall and earned high marks in several categories including architecture, energy production, and engineering.

The house has been toured by nearly 50,000 people in its visits to Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis, and Washington, DC.

“This project has been a part of our students’ and faculty members’ lives for three years now—from concept to design, development to construction, competition to exhibition,” said Scott Wall, director of the School of Architecture. “Being able to share the sustainable design and solar-power technologies developing at UT with the world has been a remarkable thing. We are very proud of what the Tennessee Tour has achieved.”

The house was recently on exhibit in Washington, DC as part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. It was one of only seventeen projects chosen to represent the nation’s land-grant universities during the festival, which commemorated the 150th anniversary of the founding of land-grant universities and the US Department of Agriculture.

Living Light team members recently won an Honor Citation from the Tennessee chapter of the American Institute of Architects for their work on the home.

The house arrives in Chattanooga in time for the AIA Tennessee Convention, which will be held July 25-27.

The Tennessee Tour is a joint effort of the UT College of Architecture and Design, the UT College of Engineering, and UT Extension—the outreach unit of the UT Institute of Agriculture. It showcases the work of more than 200 students and nine academic programs, as well as the sponsorship and involvement of alumni, businesses, and industry partners like the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Once back in Knoxville, Living Light will undergo a year of testing by faculty and students who will be collaborating with the Electrical Power Research Institute.

For more information about the Tennessee Tour and the Living Light House, visit livinglight.utk.edu.